Pivotal frame structure for rotary printing machine elements



H. H. BEASLEY Oct. 30, 1951.

PIVOTAL FRAME STRUCTURE FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE ELEMENTS Filed June 3, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet l IN vs/v r02: HARaw HOLMY/IRU BEASLEY PEI? A TTOQNE Y Oct. 30, 1951 H. H. BEASLEY 2,573,090

PIVOTAL FRAME STRUCTURE FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE ELEMENTS Filed June 3, 194's E 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m VENTOQ: HAROLD flaLmmRo BEASLEV 4 TT'OENEYS Oct. 30, 1951 H. H. BEASLEY 2,573,090

PIVOTAL FRAME STRUCTURE FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE ELEMENTS Filed June 3, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l3 l2 F|G.3.

INVENTOE:

HAROLP l/bmrmoaaAsLEv' ATT02 NEYS' Patented Oct. 30, 1951 BIVOTALERAME, STRUCTURE FOR ROTARY INTI G MA E ELEMENT Haroldr Holmyard:Beasley,-. Bnistol;1 England, as-

signor to). Beasley, French- 85 .Gompangy' Limited, nsterrfi s l; En d;

Application-June, 3, 1948; Serial No. 30,857 In- Great-"Britain Jilne 6; 1 947 whims. (o1. 10-1,216,l

invention relates to -a construction and arrangement: of rotary printing-machines ofa type which interehangeable printing cylinders of varyi'ng dimensions are used 'to give a range .of printing sizes; circumferences or pitch of impressions on websof paper; visco'se fi'lm or: other: suit.- ablematerial;

In printing machinesroitthis type as constru'ce ted according to presentpractice. it has been usual: for the width between the; bearings which carry and support the printing. cylinder: to be greatly in. excess: of; the effiectiv-e printing width of the machine which is governed byethe: eitective Width of the printing cylinder.- This. excessive width between the supporting bearings of' the printing cylinder is: necessitated by the various forms of construction usually adopted to enable the printing, impression and inking cylinders to be moved: or adjusted: in relation to each other to accommodate interchangeable printing cylinders of varying dimensions and toprovidespace at the ends of the inkingcylinders; for-splash guards, driving gear; or other parts.

This excessive; width between thesupporting bearings of the printing" cylinder has. hitherto been particularly objectionable in printing machinesof; this type, as; owing'to the unequal distribution and, weight of printing plates. and type carried thereon,v the. cylinders. are. usually out of balance in varying degrees. As a consequence of the widely spaced bearings, the. long shafts employed to support the cylinders are liable to whip. and set. up..vibration when running, ina anner very detrimental. to inequalityof the. printingand likely todetractirom theuseful life. of theprinting. plates. Ifheresulting lack ofgrigidity also, tendsltoset, a limit to the eiIective running, Speed. of printing machines of, this type.

It s pr m r biectof this-invent ontoprw vide, a construction, and arrangementof' printing machine. f. e. type descri ed. Whichwi l; o iate th sedi dvantae s, A. iurtherobi c of th inven i n s. to. nr yide addition l d sirab e ea: res. n t. pr vious y attained. in, pr t ng machines of this type and, as a result printing a hin s on tru ted. i the. mann r d scribed h reaiter W ll. be. x eme y ompa t nd, id n a be rin s nriey b sp c d to a wi th, ui to. the r respective. cylinder he dr ing. ea s may e lacedoutside thezframe o thema h n and c n. be. f ctiv y guarded and. l bri ated,-

AccQ dine to this in ention the r m vable pr nting: csg nd ris, detach blr moun ed he flxedifra n members o theimaoh ne in bear ngs h ch, are spaced, closely to. the. ends of thev Qylinderiin order to ensurerigid mounting and'sup port? or" the: printing cylinder, The impression cylinder and inking: cylinders; are carried in: bear;- ings mounted in bracketspivotally supported outside the-.frame; members on the. machine: and adapted to swivetabioutthe axis. of. the driving gear arranged: outside the fixed frame 015- the machinewhich transmits the drive to both: cyl inders and' -means. (if-adjustment; provided: for movingthese; brackets and the impression; andinking cylindersstoward and: away: from-the axis of the printing cylinder to accommodate: print: ingcylinders of difierent diameters whichmay be. interchangeable. in the bearingssuitably arranged in; the fixedframe-,members of, the machine for this purpose;

In: a: suitable construction the: impression and inking: cylinders are rotated. from a, common drive. and: the bracketsaearrying the bearings. of these. cylinders-are mounted: to: swivel; about the axis on a common driving; gear arranged outside fixed 1 frame of the: machine and: adapted; to transmittthe: drive to both: cylinders and. sothat adiiustmen-t of. the bra-ckets about. this axiswill not; afiectthe driving: engagementiot thevgears; One: or: more additional inking: cylinders; may be.- supported in bearings in separate, brackets arranged: to swivel: about; separate pivotal? supports: on. the. main. frame: of the machine? and these brackets may; also: be: connected to; each other by adjustableconnecting; links which maintain the position. of? theinking cylinders relatively to one: another 'butpermittheir adjust; ment: relatively to i the: printing: cylinder.

In order that the invention maybe; more readiil y understood, asuitable application thereof: will now be described with reference to the: accome panying drawings in which;

Figure l is a side el'evational'view of thervend portion of a rotary printingmachine showing how the printing cylind'er and the impressionaand shown. he dra n theframe be I of the-ma hine are formed with rigidly supported bearings 2, preferably located at or near one end of the machine. These bearings 2 are detachable or are split and provided with detachable caps 3 to permit ready removal and replacement of the printing cylinder 4, the shafts of which engage therein. The impression cylinder 6 which may be wider than the printing cylinder 4, has its shafts I supported in suitable roller or other antifriction bearings 8, in brackets 9 adjustably mounted to turn about fixed swivel supports I6, outside the frame I of the machine. The brackets 9 are formed as quadrants with gear teeth II, having toothed pinions I2 on a cross shaft I3 gearing therewith and adapted to be rotated by worm I4 and wheel I5 or other suitable adjusting means. An inking cylinder I6 has its shafts II mounted in roller or other suitable anti-friction bearings I8 in separate brackets I9 adapted to swivel about the axis of the supports III, on the frame I of the machine and provided with downwardly directed toothed quadrants 2|], and a separate shaft 2| with toothed pinions 22 and similar worm and wheel or other suitable adjusting means for rotating the shaft ZI. Another inking cylinder 26 has its shafts 21 mounted in roller or other suitable anti-friction bearings 28 in separate brackets 29 having slotted ends 3| adapted to turn about swivel supports 30 on the frame members I. Extensions of these brackets 29 and the brackets I9 of the first mentioned inking cylinder I6 are connected by adjustable links 32, which enable the relative position of the inking cylinders I6 and 26 to be accurately adjusted relatively to one another. These links 32 are arranged so as to maintain a substantially parallel relationship between the supporting brackets I9 and 26 of the inking cylinders I6 and 26, thus enabling them to be adjusted relatively to the printing cylinder 4, without affecting the adjustment relatively to each other.

In the example shown in the drawings the drive to the impression cylinder 6 and one inking cylinder I6 is provided by a common driving gear 40 mounted to rotate about the axis of the common pivot III of the brackets 9 and I9 supporting these cylinders 6 and I6. The common driving gear 40 is rotated by the main driving wheel M and gears with a toothed wheel 42 on the shaft I of the impression cylinder 6 and also with the toothed gear 43 on the shaft II of the inking cylinder I6, (see Fig. 3). The other inking cylinder 26 is driven by two gears 44 and 45 (Fig. I) mounted to rotate about the swivel axis 30 of the brackets 29 supporting this inking cylinder 26 and one of which, 44, gears with the common driving gear 46 referred to above and the other of which 45 gears with a toothed gear 46 on the shaft 21 of the inking cylinder 26. This enables the inking cylinders I6 and 26 to be driven at different speeds so as to provide a predetermined amount of peripheral slip between them and assists in a smooth and even distribution of the ink on the inking cylinders. The inking cylinder 26 has a surface layer 26a shown in section in Figs. 2 and 3. The printing cylinder 4 is driven by a second toothed gear 41 (Fig. 3) on the shaft I of the impression cylinder 6 and each interchangeable printing cylinder 4 has its own driven gear 48 corresponding to the diameter oi the cylinder 4 so as to maintain the correct peripheral speed between the printing and impression cylinders 4 and 6. All these gears are located outside the frame I of the machine so that they may be readily enclosed by guards or gear casings to enable effective protection and lubrication of the gears to be provided.

It will be seen from the drawings that the shafts 5 of the printing cylinder 4 are well supported in the bearings 2 solidly mounted in the main frame members I of the printing machine. The detachable caps 3 of the bearings 2 enable the printing cylinder 4 to be readily removed and replaced by another printing cylinder of diferent diameter which is then retained in position by replacing the bearing caps 3.

In order to accommodate a different diameter printing cylinder 4, the impression cylinder 6 is moved nearer to or further from the axis of the printing cylinder according to whether the latter is of smaller or larger diameter, than the one being replaced. This movement is effected by causing the brackets 9 to swivel about their pivotal supports III. For this purpose the shaft I3 is rotated in the appropriate direction so that the toothed pinions I2, gearing with the teeth I I on the brackets 9 will swivel the brackets about the pivotal supports III to the desired extent. This adjustment will not affect the drive of the common driving gear 40 to the toothed gear 42 on the shaft I of the impression cylinder 6. Each printing cylinder 4 has a gear 48, the pitch diameter of which corresponds with the effective diameter of the printing cylinder 4 on the shaft 5 on which it is mounted. Thus the gear 41 on the shaft I of the impression cylinder 6 will engage correctly with the gear 48 on the shaft '5 of the printing cylinder, which will thereby be driven at the correct speed relatively to the impression cylinder.

The inking cylinder I6 may also be adjusted relatively to the printing cylinder 4 by causing its brackets I9 to swivel about the pivotal supports III. For this purpose the shaft 2I is rotated in the appropriate direction so that the toothed pinions 22 gearing with the teeth of the quadrants 26, will effect the desired adjustment. The connecting links 32 will cause the brackets 29 to move with the brackets I9 maintaining the relative adjustment between the inking cylinders I6 and 26. The drive to the inking cylinder I6 is effected by the common driving gear 40, which is located on the axis of the pivot I U and the drive to the inking cylinder 26 is effected by the gears 44 and 45 located on the axis of the pivots 30. The drive is thus not disturbed by adjustment of the inking cylinders relatively to the printing cylinder.

I claim:

1. In a rotary printing machine for a series of interchangeable printing cylinders of different diameters, frame members, rigidly mounted bearings on the frame members, a printing cylinder, shafts at each end of the printing cylinder engaging in the bearings which are spaced closely to the ends of the printing cylinder, an impression cylinder and an inking cylinder, shafts at the ends of the impression and inking cylinders, movable brackets mounted outside the frame members, pivotal supports on the frame members on which the brackets swivel, bearings in the brackets for the shafts of the impression and inking cylinders, means for adjusting the brackets to swivel about the pivotal supports to move the impression and inking cylinders toward and away from the printing cylinder, a toothed driving gear arranged to rotate about the axis of said pivotal supports, a toothed gear on the shaft of the impression cylinder, a toothed gear on the shaft of the inking cylinder to transmit the drive from said first mentionedtoothed driving gear to the impression and inking cylinders.

and means for driving the printing cylinder from the impression cylinder shaft.

2. In a rotary printing machine for a series of interchangeable printing cylinders of different diameters, a pair of frame members, rigidly supported bearings in the frame members, a printing cylinder having shafts by which it is detachably supported in these bearings, two pairs of brackets movably mounted outside the frame members, pivotal supports on the frame members about which the brackets swivel, bearings in the brackets, an impression cylinder having shafts engaging the bearings of one pair of brackets, an inking cylinder having shafts engaging in the bearings of the other pair of brackets, means for adjusting the brackets to swivel about the pivotal supports, and additional inking cylinder having shafts engaging in bearings in another pair of brackets movably mounted outside the frame members, pivotal supports on the frame members about which these brackets swivel, adjustable connecting links coupling the brackets supporting each inking cylinder and means for driving the printing cylinder, impression cylinder and inking cylinders.

3. In a rotary printing machine for a series of interchangeable printing cylinders of different diameters, a pair of frame members, rigidly supported bearings in the frame members, a printing cylinder, having shafts by which it is detachably supported in these bearings, two pairs of brackets movably mounted outside the frame members, pivotal supports on the frame members about which the brackets swivel, bearings in the brackets, an impression cylinder having shafts engaging in the bearings of one pair of brackets, an inking cylinder having shafts engaging in the bearings of the other pair of bracket's, means for adjusting the brackets to swivel about the pivotal supports, a second inking cylinder whose periphery engages the first inking cylinder, a further pair of brackets having bearings in which engage the shafts of said second inking cylinder, pivotal supports on the frame members about which these brackets swivel, adjustable connecting links pivoted to the brackets which support the two inking cylinders, a common driving gear mounted to rotate about the common axis of the first two pairs of brackets, gears on the shafts of the impression cylinder and the first inking cylinder, a second gear on the shaft of the impression cylinder, a gear on the shaft of the printing cylinder gearing therewith, two gears mounted to rotate about the axis of the pivotal support of the second inking cylinder, one of which gears with the common driving gear, and a driven gear on the shaft of the second inking cylinder which gears with the other of these two gears.

HAROLD I-IOLMYARD BEASLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 710,380 Turck Sept. 30, 1902 842,265 Swift Jr Jan. 29, 1907 922,861 Dick May 25, 1909 1,590,742 Goulding June 29, 1926 1,593,370 Storey July 20, 1926 1,324,584 Wood Sept. 22, 1931 2,107,647 Presby Feb. 8, 1938 2,121,195 Harrold et al June 21, 1938 2,160,613 Crafts May 30, 1939 2,398,832 Jirousek Apr. 23, 1946 

